Canopic jars were used by the Ancient Egyptians during the mummification process to store and preserve the viscera* of their owner for the afterlife.

In anatomy, a viscus is an internal organ, and viscera is the plural form. The viscera, when removed from a butchered animal, are known collectively as offal. Internal organs are also known as "guts" (which may also refer to the gastrointestinal tract), or more formally, "innards".